108 LONGISLANDPRESS.COM • SEPTEMBER 2018
PRESS BUZZ: COMMUNITY THEATER
CURTAIN OPENER:
PHOENIX REPERTORY THEATRE GROUP
BY KARLY EBERLY
Rising above the ashes of dated
performances and uninspired casts,
Long Island’s newest community theatre
is excited to bring an innovative
perspective to the performing arts.
The Phoenix Repertory Theatre
Group, now the official theatre in residence
at the Babylon Citizens Council
on the Arts (BACCA) in Lindenhurst,
is a self-declared proponent of the
nontraditional.
“The conceit was to bring shows
to Long Island specifically for actors
and directors,” says Paul Lichtman,
president of the Phoenix board of
directors. “We’re here to offer shows
that these passionate local performers
have been dying to do, but haven’t
had the opportunity.”
The Phoenix’s inaugural show,
Steel Magnolias, directed by Edward
Cress, was performed in May at The
Onyx Theatre next to the Noel S. Ruiz
Theatre, an intimate space where the
crowd was thoroughly impressed.
“It was a treat from start to finish,”
one viewer said. “The entire production
had much more of a regional
theatrical feel compared to the
usual community theatre
I have experienced
... I was fairly
surprised and
impressed.”
While poignant
social
commentaries
and difficult
subject
matters often
make other theatres
hesitate, it is
this sense of emotion
that Phoenix Repertory
is actively seeking.
Most recently, in producing Lillian
Hellman’s drama The Children’s
Hour, the theatre found both financial
success and critical acclaim in a
compelling production befitting of its
sensitive theme.
Continuing its season with One
Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest in September
and October, the Phoenix has
big goals for the coming year. Planning
to offer master classes and cabarets
in addition to establishing a
children’s theatre and
classes for teens, it
seems the Phoenix
is well on its
way.
“Right now
we’re the
little theatre
that could, but
we have big
ambitions and
I’m happy to say
in a short time we’ve
gathered a strong group of
individuals who not only believe in
our mission, but are willing to devote
their time and efforts to make our
dreams a reality,” says Lichtman.
Inviting actors of all ethnicities,
gender identities, and orientations,
the Phoenix encourages all to be a
part of its journey.
The Phoenix Repertory Theatre
Group, BACCA Arts Center, 149
North Wellwood Avenue, Lindenhurst
phoenixrepertorytheatre.com
Kelly Schmidt in The
Children’s Hour.
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“Right now we’re
the little theatre that
could,”
says Paul Lichtman,
president of the Phoenix
board of directors.